斯隆数字巡天光谱数据中发现,类星体SDSSJ2220+0109光谱中同时出现如下极为罕见的吸收线:氢巴尔末线HQ和H卢,亚稳态HeI^* AA3889、3189^++,CaIIH、K,以及来自FeII^*能级的波数分别为7955cm^-1、13474cm^-1和13673cm^-1的众多吸收线.上述吸收线具有相似的速度结构,线宽达1500km.s^-1,相对于发射线表现出蓝移.研究结果表明,这些吸收线很可能来自部分电离区,密度ne≈10^6cm^-3,柱密度ⅣHi≈10^21cm^-2,Lyα共振散射对氢原子的激发起重要作用.SDSSJ2220+0109斯隆r星等为16.56mag,是探索活动星系核中特殊吸收线起源的理想实验室.将来的紫外光谱观测可以更加准确决定吸收气体的密度、柱密度、电离参数等物理性质;光学光谱监测有助于限定吸收线的产生机制.此外还发现,SDSSJ 2220+0109中的FeII发射线显著区别于典型的窄线赛弗特I型星系IZw1,很可能来自低密度气体,进一步研究有助于理解类星体中FeII发射线的起源.
We report the discovery of Balmer broad absorption lines (BALs) in the quasar SDSS J2220+0109 and present a detailed analysis of the peculiar absorption line spectra. The absorption lines are detected in He I* multiplet at AA3189, 3889 arising from the metastable helium 23s level, and in Ha and H/3 from the excited hydrogen H I n = 2 level, which are rarely seen in quasar spectra. There are also many absorption lines arising from excited Fe II* levels 7955 cm-1, 13474 cm-1 and 13673 cm-1 in the wavelength range of 3100 - 3300A. Ca II H, K absorption line doublets are also clearly presented in its SDSS spectra. All absorption lines show a similar blueshifted velocity structure of Av -1500 - 0 km.s^-1 relative to the quasar systematic redshift determined from the emission lines. Detailed analysis suggests that the BALs should arise from partial ionized region with a column density of NH I ≈ 1021 cm^-2 for an electron density of ne ≈ 10^6 era^-3; and the hydrogen n = 2 level be populated via collisional excitation with Lyα pumping. In addition to its peculiar absorption features, SDSS J2220+0109 also shows unusual Fe II emission lines very likely originated from the low density gas of ne ≈ 10^6 cm^-3, which is similar to that of the absorption gas.